Basic Attack – Shotgun Spread

Base Personnel – 11 (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WR)

Offensive line

Forgive me if I don’t go over the offensive line positions for all of you. If you’re reading a team-specific preview, I’m going to assume you know the basics.

Offensive Linemen to Watch

Right Tackle – No. 69 – Rashad Green (Sr., 6’4”, 300 pounds)

Right tackle Rashad Green is the only starter returning from last season. Most positions have been filled internally, with the exception of the center position, where Vincent Murphy, who transferred from Western Kentucky, gets his hands on his butt first.

Their opener against FCS Southeast Louisiana didn’t yield much due to the talent difference, but this new line will be put to the test against K-State’s defensive front. They’ll find it a little more difficult against the ‘Cats and their endless supply of fresh players on the defensive end.

Wide receiver

Blue Circle – Border Recipient

Green Circle – Slot Receiver

Purdue Circle – Field Receiver

The nomenclature of the wide receiver positions varies from team to team, but here’s how to distinguish them.

The receiving group is very talented but lacks high productivity and includes some highly touted recruits looking to revive their careers after failing at a Blue Bloody.

Mario Williams was considered the second-best receiver in the country and the 16th best player overall in 2021 when he signed with Oklahoma and Lincoln Riley and then followed Riley to LA when he took the job at USC.

Shazz Preston was considered the sixth-best receiver in the country and the 45th-best player overall in 2022 when he signed with Alabama, but failed to produce any statistics in his two years in Tuscaloosa.

Yulkeith Brown was a 4* recruit out of Miami when he signed with Texas A&M in 2021. He transferred to Tulane in 2023 after recording 6 catches in two years for the Aggies. Last season, he had 33 catches for 391 yards and 2 touchdowns for Tulane.

Wide receiver in focus

Slot Receiver – No. 4 – Mario Williams (Jr., 5’9”, 178 pounds)

I remember when Williams was a high-profile national recruit in 2021, I really wanted Clemson to get him, but he went to Oklahoma instead. I think he would consider his career so far a disappointment in terms of performance. He decided to try a different coach after having moderate success under Lincoln Riley at both Oklahoma and USC. He’s still lightning fast and is a problem when he finds open space. I don’t know if you’ve ever had to chase a small dog that doesn’t want to be caught, but I imagine trying to tackle Mario Williams is a similar experience.

He opened his account at Tulane with a bang last week, managing 124 yards on four catches, but somehow failed to get into the end zone despite averaging 31 yards per catch. The Wildcat secondary had a problem dealing with the opponent’s primary receiver last season, and this could be a tough matchup for Sigle, who tends to pick off the slot receiver in coverage. Williams could be a tough cover for Joe Klanderman’s defense on Saturday.

Tight ends

Red circle (maybe it’s orange?)

Tulane uses a tight end in their base offense, but will occasionally abandon that position when they switch to their 4-wide strategy. They frequently use their tight ends in the passing game, at least that’s what they did last season.

Tight End in focus

#87 – Alex Bauman (Jr., 6’5″, 245)

Bauman was Tulane’s third-leading receiver last season, catching 35 passes for 286 yards and 5 touchdowns. We’re dealing with a different coaching staff this season, so take that as it is, but last season he was generally used as a short option in the regular passing game and as an end zone option in the red zone. He was second-best in touchdown receptions for the Green Wave.

Running backs

Historically, Jon Sumrall likes to run the ball, control the clock and let his defense win games. In 2023, his Troy offense was led by Kimani Vidal, who was just 3 runs shy of 300 on the season. Expect Sumrall to do the same at Tulane. Look for the run game early and often on Saturday.

Run back to watch

#21 – Makhi Hughes (R-So., 5’11”, 210)

Hughes made a splash on the college stage as a redshirt freshman last season, rushing for 1,378 yards and seven touchdowns on 258 carries. He led the American Conference in attempts, yards and plays and was second in the conference in yards from scrimmage.

Hughes and the Tulane offensive line against the Kansas State front 7 is the matchup I’ll be watching tomorrow. Tulane’s best chance to win this game is to establish the run with Hughes and then continue to give him the ball. The only area I’m concerned about with the Wildcat defense is the front 7’s ability to withstand a consistent run game. They’re going to have to find a way to win first downs because the worst case scenario for the defense is Hughes getting first downs while Avery and his crew stew on the sidelines as the pressure mounts.

quarterback

Tulane was in a three-way tie for the starting quarterback position after fall camp, with 3 players on the list receiving “or” honors. All 3 ranked quarterbacks played in the opening game, but it looks like redshirt freshman Darian Mensah will be doing the bulk of the work if this game is any indication of Tulane’s future plans at the position. That’s a bit of a surprise considering 5* recruit Ty Thompson from Oregon is on the roster for 2021. I assumed Thompson would be the right fit based on talent alone, but it seems I’m wrong.

Quarterback in focus

#10 – Darian Mensah (R-Fr., 6’3″, 200)

Mensah, the 3* recruit, beat out Thompson, the 5* recruit, although I suspect the coaches really wanted Thompson to get the job. I suspect the Green Wave dropped some coin to get a former 5* recruit without a lot of miles on him, and the fact that Mensah beat him out makes me a little nervous.

In the opening game, he was efficient, going 10/12 for 205 yards and 2 touchdowns. As with any freshman quarterback facing a P4 team for the first time, I expect the ‘Cats to keep pressuring him until he proves he can make good decisions against the blitz. Look for Klanderman to run some junk coverages to trick the young quarterback into throwing the ball to the wrong team.

At 6’3″ and 215 pounds, he’s a big guy, and although Southeast Louisiana hasn’t touched him much, he looks like someone who will be tough to bring down. He tucked the ball twice in the opener and ran a total of 12 yards, so he seems to be able to run a little bit, too. He’s got a lot of work to do tomorrow, but he’s got talent.

In total

There’s a simple formula for Tulane tomorrow. Establish the run, keep running, and then keep running some more, throw a few deep passes to Mario Williams into the mix, and capitalize.

Kansas State is running the opposite of that plan. They need to gain first downs against the running game, get Mensah on third and long, and then unleash the beasts and pressure him.

Tulane will look to dominate time of possession in this game. Kansas State’s running game can’t hurt you when they’re drinking water on the sideline, which is where Coach Sumrall wants to keep them. This is a great early test for the defense against a solid Tulane running game. If they hold up tomorrow, the hype could be justified. If not, it could be a long season of screaming at the TV.

I think the defense will hold up and the ‘Cats will hold Tulane under 3 points.